| With Google reporting that over 50% of their | | | | credit card or even have the right to order |
| traffic comes from multilingual searches, it | | | | what they want, while in Japan it is exactly |
| has become crucial to consider developing a | | | | the reverse. |
| multilingual online presence. However, the | | | | |
| question remains the same: Which markets to | | | | Once again, no one should confuse the amount |
| target? Which ones are the most important in | | | | of users versus the buying power of a given |
| terms of users, etc.? | | | | market. |
| | | | |
| First of all, let's see which parts of the | | | | On the other hand, one needs to consider the |
| world feature the most users. Contrary to | | | | worth of Third World markets/economically |
| general belief, it is not North America! With | | | | disadvantaged countries. For instance, |
| close to 400 million users, Asia definitely | | | | countries like Bangladesh, Mozambique, |
| takes the lead, followed by Europe with | | | | Somalia, etc., might not seem very attractive |
| approximately 315 million users, in | | | | at first. However, in Third World markets, |
| comparison to 232 million in North America | | | | those online are affluent and wealthy. In |
| (North America being defined as the U.S., | | | | those countries, there is no middle class. |
| Canada, and Mexico). | | | | Basically, you are either dirt poor or filthy |
| | | | rich! Online users in those countries belong |
| In my extensive experience with multilingual | | | | to the the second category. Many online |
| online applications, I have learned over the | | | | gambling portals and entertainment websites |
| years to differentiate clearly the amount of | | | | of all kinds have found high spenders in |
| users versus the market potentiality of a | | | | economically-disadvantaged-markets. In fact, |
| product or a service. For example, the | | | | wealthy individuals in Rwanda or Chad do not |
| Hispanic online market (between South and | | | | have many entertainment outlets in their |
| Central America, the U.S., the Caribbean and | | | | homeland! Furthermore, most everything is |
| Spain) features slightly more users than the | | | | lacking within their country infrastructure: |
| French-speaking market. But when it comes to | | | | clothing, electronics, etc. Online |
| buying power, countries like France, Belgium, | | | | applications have therefore become a form of |
| Switzerland and Canada (Quebec) have so much | | | | "entertainment salvation" for the wealthy |
| more buying power than Peru, Bolivia or | | | | minorities of third world markets. |
| Chile! | | | | |
| | | | Online multilingual markets are complex, and |
| More than just buying power, we need to look | | | | instead of looking at languages/countries |
| at the cultural ramifications involved in | | | | just by their buying power or number of |
| internet behaviors. In other terms, is a | | | | users, one should evaluate what they have to |
| specific market used to ordering & | | | | offer and define the marketability of their |
| transacting online? For instance, compared to | | | | products and services accordingly. |
| its amount of users, France is extremely | | | | |
| active online, while French-speaking | | | | Are you looking for end users to buy your |
| countries in Africa are proportionally | | | | products? Then look at the buying power of |
| inactive. The same applies when comparing | | | | the targeted markets along with the |
| Spain and some South American countries. If | | | | reliability of their postal and |
| you were to compare the online buying habits | | | | transportation services. Are you a |
| between 100,000 users in Spain and the same | | | | manufacturer looking to find more |
| number of users throughout South America, you | | | | distributors/to increase your exports? Then |
| would notice that people out of Spain order | | | | chances are that the world is your oyster. |
| products and services at least 5 times more | | | | |
| than their South American peers. | | | | I advise you to perform a meticulous |
| | | | evaluation of your market potential when |
| In many cases, it is not a matter of buying | | | | developing a presence on multilingual search |
| power, but rather mail order habits based on | | | | engines. So many factors need to be taken |
| the country's postal delivery system. In | | | | into consideration...Do not look at Japanese, |
| fact, in many countries where the postal | | | | French or Spanish just as country specific, |
| system is unreliable (not to say flaky!), | | | | but rather online language market shares! |
| online users were not "groomed" with mail | | | | Just as an example, aside from all countries |
| order habits prior to the internet. As a | | | | where Spanish is spoken, one of the most |
| result, although such markets will look for | | | | active Hispanic online markets is in the |
| products and services online, they certainly | | | | U.S.! |
| are not as mail order oriented as other | | | | |
| countries featuring more efficient mailing | | | | WWW = World Wide Web. Is your website really |
| systems. | | | | reaching worldwide? |
| | | | |
| Therefore, it is impossible to rely solely on | | | | The time has come to implement action on a |
| the amount of users when considering | | | | global scale! |
| establishing a multilingual presence online. | | | | |
| Another good example to illustrate such fact | | | | For fun, test your global knowledge by taking |
| would be China and Japan. China currently has | | | | the following quiz: |
| almost 145 million users and it is one of the | | | | |
| fastest growing markets on the internet. | | | | SEO Consultant Mathias Levarek is talking |
| Japan, with 86 million users, has nearly | | | | about Inetenation / Multilingual Online |
| reached its maximum potential with almost 70% | | | | Market. They provide Advanced Link-Building |
| of its population online. A very small | | | | Solutions covering almost all kind of |
| proportion of online users in China own a | | | | off-page seo activities. |